Barrel



T. R. wlNcHELL 2,001,859

BARREL Filed July 22, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 1 May 2l, 1935.

` mi, u

May 21, 1935. T. R. wlNcHELL BARREL Filed July 22, 19255 2 sheets-sheet 2' .Patented May 21, 1935 PATENT OFFICE BARREL Thomas R. Winchell, yWest Newton, Mass.,

signor to Northern Maine Plywood Company,

Portland, Maine,

a corporation of Maine Application July22, 1933, Serial No. 681,746

11Claims.

This invention relates to barrels, and more particularly to barrels that are cylindrical, or practically cylindrical, and that are made of'plywood composed of sheets of veneer cemented or otherwise solidly united, with the grain of the-wood extending crosswise in the different plies.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a barrel of this kind that is practically hoopless, that in reality has no outside hoops for resisting the bursting strain, and in which the cylindrical, or practically cylindrical, side walls are strongly fastened to the peripheries of preformed heads or end-Wall units.

It is also an obj ect to provide certain details and features of construction' tending to increase the general efliciency and the desirability of a barrel of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Fig. 1 is a. side elevation of a barrel embodying the principles of the invention. e Fig. 2 is a perspective 'of one of the preformed heads'or end-wall units involved in the construction of said barrel.

Fig. 3 is anenlarged vertical section of said barrel, with the middle or intermediate portion 'thereof shown broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 4-4'in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a fragment of one of i themetal rings with which the ends of the barrel are protectedA against injury. e

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a different form of welded joint for the ring.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing another form of preformed barrel head.

As thus illustrated, the body I of the barrel is preferably cylindrical, or practically cylindrical,

although it might taper a little toward one end,

depending upon the method of manufacture. 'I'he said body is formed of plywood having inner and outer plies 2 and 3, and a middle or intermediate plyl, as shown more clearly i Fig. 3 of the drawings. 'I'he two surface plies havev the grain of the wood thereof extending longitudinally of the barrel, while the imbedded or intermediate ply 4 has the grain of the wood extending circumferentlally of the barrel. In this way, the two surface plies form longitudinal stays for preventling the barrel from breaking. apart between the endsC thereof, while the intermediate ply, in eifect,

-forms a hoop that is as long as the barrel, and

that prevents longitudinal splitting of the side walls. The three plies are preferably cemented or otherwise solidly united, so that the plywood material thus made may be handled and treated 5 as a single thickness in the manufacture of barrels of this kind.

At one side of the body, there is a longitudinal seam 5 formed by overlapping the plywood at this side of the barrel. The inner thickness 'of 10 the plywood is skived olf on the outer side thereof, so that the innermost ply has a sharp edge at 6, whereby the inner surface of the barrel is practically continuous and unbroken. /The edge of the outer thickness of the overlap square, as shown at 1, and the plywood gives this square outer edge a smooth surface, as the two surface plies 'have the wood thereof, as stated, extending longitudinally of the seam, so that the edge 'l will be smooth, and not rough. 20 Staples 8 are inserted inwardly through the overlap or seam, to permanently fasten the lapping portions together, and in this way a joint is formed which is even stronger than the other portions of the side walls. Thus, the body formed 25 of plywood furnishes practically the entire strength of the barrel, to resist bursting strain, and to resist crushing from the outside. -By using the staples 8, or other fastening devices, in a manner to prevent them from pulling out. a permanent joint or overlap seam is formed for the hoopless barrel.

Preformed heads or end-wall units, such as the one shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, are inserted in the ends of the cylindrical body; There are dierent ways of making these preformed heads or end-wall units, but, as shown, they are each composed of a disk 9 of plywood, of the same kind from which the cylindrical body is made, with cleats or blocks I0 secured by nails II to the 40 disk. 'I'he grain of the wood extends longitudinally in each block, and the inner edge of each block is preferably straight, as shown, so that great strength -is provided. for this barrel-head construction.

Finally, metal rings I2 are placed over the ends of the barrel, and nails ll'are then driven through these metal rings and through the side walls of the barrel and into the blocks or cleats I0, as shown. These metal rings preferably have spotweld joints Il, where the metal is overlapped at one side of each ring, and the rings are preferablyof light sheet-metal, so that the nails can easily be driven through these rings inthe man` ner shown. .The metal rings thus provided are not or seam is left 15 in any sense hoops for `the barrel, as they are not applied to resist the bursting strain, but merely to protect the ends of the barrel against linjury. Each metal ring has a flange I extending over the end edge of the barrel and a distance over the blocks or cleats I0 of the heads. Also, the edge I6 of each ring is preferably flared away from the sides of the barrel a little, as shown, to facilitate the forcing/of these rings into position on the ends of the barrel.

' Therefore, the barrel is practically hoopless, as the cylindrical body, or substantially cylindrical body, made with a permanently stitched or otherwise fastened overlapping seam or joint extending longitudinally at one side thereof, is entirely suiiicient to resist the bursting strain, as well as any crushing strain from outside, and with la body of this kind, made of suitable thickness and with the lapped joint permanently fastened, no hoops are necessary. The body in itself is capable ofv maintaining its shape and form, and, in addition, the ends of the body are strongly fastened to the strong heads or end-wall units, and in this way each end wall forms, in effect, a multitude of tie rods extending radially to tie or bind the side walls together at both ends of the barrel. In other words, the heads or end walls themselves resist any outward displacement of the side walls of the barrel, whereby the entire structure is strong and rigid and capable of transporting a surprisingly heavy load.

It will be understood that the nails II and I3 canbe ordinary nails, such as those shown, or they can be heavy staples, if such is necessary or de'- sirable. For the particular construction shown, which is illustrative of the invention, ordinary nails may be preferable, as they can be easily driven by hand.

It will also be seen that the plywood disks 9, forming the end walls, may be composed of five thicknesses, if desired, whereby these end walls will be of heavier plywood materialthan the side walls of the barrel.

It will be seen that the fastening devices I I must be inserted or driven before the fastening devices I3 are driven, as the heads are preformed outside `of the barrel, in the manner shown.

It will be seen that the spot welding in Fig. 5, on the top of the ring, is spread into the corner II of the lap joint, so that this corner is held down tightly and cannot be loosened. It is important to maintain the continuity of the flange I5, and by spreading the spot welding in the manner shown, the inner edge of this flange will remain continuous against all ordinary strains' incident to the use and transportation of the barrel. But in Fig 6 of the drawings,.the two ends of the ring are butted together and a buttjoint weld I8 is employed, and if ,the joint thus formed is welded continuously and properly, a strong joint will be formed. i

In Fig. '7 of the drawings, it will be seen that the blocks or cleats I0 of the preformed head have their outer edges provided with a flange I9, and inasmuch as these blocks or'cleats are arranged end to end, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, it follows that this flange is annular and practically continuous. This flange is of use inassembling or inserting the heads in the barrel, as it engages the annular edge of the side wall 4 of the barrel, and thus limits the insertion of the head into the end of the barrel, whereby the heads are held in proper position while they are being'fastened in place. With this construction, the metal ring I2 is simply made a little wider, if necessary, so that it will cover the said flange and extend a distance over the outer flat surface of the blocks or cleats.

Of course, the features shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 'I of the drawings are designed and intended for use on a practically hoopless barrel of the kind shown and described, for the metal rings are not to takethe place of hoops, as explained, and are merely a protective selvage-like covering to protect the annular edges of the ends of the barrel from fraying out or being broken.

With further reference to the out-turned flange I6 of the metal protective ring, it will be seen that this is of use also' in taking off the metal ring when it is desired to open the barrel. A claw or hammer can be inserted under this flange, and driven between the ring and the side of the barrel, and by this method the ring can be loosened and taken off after the nails I3 are pulled out.

When the blocks Ill are used, it will be understood that the grain of the wood`extends lengthwise of each block, so that there is some grain that extends from one end to the other of each block, whereby the blocks are not liable to break, because of any cutting of the grain crosswise thereof. In Fig. "7 the flange I9 is on the outer curved edges of the blocks Ill, and the latter are in each form of thev invention fastened to the outer side of the end wall, by nails or other fasteners, before the blocks are fastened to the side walls of the barrel.

With the construction shown and described, the staples 8, in the lap joint seam, constitute the sole means for maintaining the overlap at all points between the heads of the barrel, whereby the overlap is necessarily self-maintaining practically throughout the entire length thereof, and the barrel is practically hoopless.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A practically hoopless barrel with countersunk heads, the barrel being entirely hoopless between the heads thereof, comprising a body formed of a single sheet of plywood composed of solidly united plies of wood veneer, with the grain of the wood extending crosswise in the different plies, so that some of the grain in effect forms a cylindrical hoop to prevent longitudinal splitting of the body, providing practically the only resistance to the bursting strain imposed on the barrel by the load therein, while other grain in effect forms a cylindrical stay to prevent "circumferential splitting, and with a permanently fastened overlapping joint or seam extending longitudinally of the body at one side only thereof, formed by the overlapping ends of the sheet, with the outer edge of the overlap exposed throughout its length between the heads, fasteners inserted through the overlap and forming the sole means for maintaining the seam Aat all points between the heads, whereby said body constitutes the major strength of the barrel, end wall units in the ends of the body to form the countersunkheads of the barrel, and fasteners extending inwardly through the body into said heads, securing the latter in place.

'2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said heads being fastened at their peripheries to the side walls of the barrel, whereby each end wall provides a tie-rod effect between the sides of the barrel.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, comprising sheet metal rings forced over the ends of the body and nailed clear through into the heads, by' fasteners inserted through the body.

4. A structure as specified in claim l,- comprising sheet metal rings forced over the ends of the body and nailed clear through into the heads, each ring having a flat inner flange flush with one side thereof extending beyond the end edge of the body a distance upon the adjacent head.

5. A structure as specied in claim 1, comprising sheet metal rings forced over the ends of the body and nailed clear through into the heads, each ring having a flat inner flange flush with one side thereof extending inwardly beyond the end edge of the body and a distance upon the ad-A jacent head, the latter and said edge being flush, and each ring having an edge flared slightly away from the sides of the barrel to facilitate the forcing of the ring into position.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, each head comprising a. disk of plywood having reinforcing means fastened to its outer side, around the circular edge thereof, flush with the annular edges of the body ends, with nails driven through the side walls into said reinforcing means.

7. In a barrel, a preformed head or end wall unit therefor, adapted to be placed in the end of the barrel, said head comprising a disk of sheet material secured along its annular edge to a reinforcing rigid fibrous material, which latter is entirely on the outer side of the end wall, flush with said annular edge, and fasteners inserted through the sides of the latter into said fibrous material, to hold the head in place, said brous material having means in effect forming an annular integral flange on the outer edge of the preformed unit extending outwardly over and upon the annular edge of the end of the barrel, with said fasteners inserted between said disk and said flange, said flange thus formed on the outer periphery of thepreformed head serving as a stop to limit the insertionof the head in the end of the barrel.

8. A structure as specified in claim 7, the barrel body being practically or in eifect hoopless, and a sheet metal protective ring secured in place by said fasteners, covering said flange, said ring having a flat inner flange flushwith one side thereof extending over and upon the flat outer surface of said fibrous material, which latter is flush with the edge of the body, thus covering and protecting said first-mentioned flange.

9. A structure as specified in claim 7, said fibrous material comprising wood blocks or cleats into which said fasteners are all inserted in the same plane, arranged end to end around the edge of the end wall, having straight inner edges and curved outer edges flush with the edge of the disk, with the grain of the wood extending longitudinally and straight in each block, said blocks or cleats having said flange formed on their outer sides.

10. In a barrel head, a sheet metal ring circumscrib`ingthe end of the barrel body, having an inner edge extending inwardly a distance over the head, having an outer edge flared away from the sides of the body, and nails driven through the ring at points between said inner and outer edges and through the sides of the barrel into said head, fastening the ring and sides and head together.

1l. A barrel head comprising sheet material forming the wall of the head, blocks rounded on their outer edges and straight on their inner edges, arranged end to end in a circle, with their outer edges flush with the circular outer surface of the wall, said blocks having their outer edges provided with flanges extending over the circular end edge of the barrel body, and fasteners driven through the sides of the barrel into said blocks, the grain of the latter extending lengthwise thereof.

THOMAS R. WINCHELL. 

